UK Power Networks reported on 10 June 2024 that the launch of Connect Direct, the Energy Networks Association's application portal, has raised its instant approval rate for domestic connection enquiries from 86% to over 90%1. The portal connects to UK Power Networks' own Smart Connect system through an API, a digital interface that lets the two platforms exchange data1.
Smart Connect was launched in 2022 to instantly approve connections for the vast majority of new electric vehicle chargepoints and solar panels in the areas where UK Power Networks operates: London, the East and the South East1. The company says it had been approving 86% of all domestic connection enquiries, more than double the number of any other network operator, before Connect Direct took that figure above 90%1. Installers working nationwide can now use a single portal for domestic applications rather than contacting individual distribution network operators, with each application feeding automatically into the correct operator's system1.
The platform approves up to 5kW of solar and battery storage, against an industry standard of 3.68kW1. UK Power Networks says this enabled an additional 12,000 applications to be approved over the past year, generating over 16 megawatts of green energy, which it describes as enough to power over 10,000 homes1.
"In a little over two years, since the launch of our Smart Connect portal, we've seen applications for domestic batteries and solar installations rise over 700%. With Connect Direct, that number is only going to rise."
Mohammed Mirza, head of Delivery and Customer Care at Evergen Solar, said in the same announcement that 80% of applications now receive approval within five minutes of submission, where confirmations previously took an average of two to four weeks depending on the network operator1.
| Measure | Before Connect Direct | After Connect Direct |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic connection enquiries approved | 86% | Over 90% |
| Solar and battery capacity auto-approved | Industry standard 3.68kW | Up to 5kW |
Why it matters for households
A household adding solar panels, a battery or an electric vehicle chargepoint needs its distribution network operator to approve the connection before the work can be registered. Where approval is automatic, the wait between an installer submitting an application and a system going ahead shortens, and the size of solar and battery installation that can be approved without further assessment rises from 3.68kW to 5kW on this network1. For a home, that affects how much generation and storage can be fitted without a longer, individual review, and how quickly a system can be commissioned once installed.
The figures cover UK Power Networks only, which operates in London, the East and the South East1. Approval rates and capacity limits at other network operators are not given in the announcement, and no comparable figures for them have been reported here. Households outside that area, or those seeking a connection above the auto-approval threshold, still depend on their own operator's process. The UK Power Networks area, connections and flexibility page sets out where the company operates, and the guide to getting a new or upgraded electricity connection covers the application route in general.
What happens next
No further dates or targets are given in the announcement. UK Power Networks says only that it expects applications for domestic batteries and solar to keep rising following the Connect Direct launch1.
Sources1 cited
- Instant approval for over 90% of green installers, ukpowernetworks.co.uk